What to Read on the Subway This Week: 7/29

Feeling the heat wave? You don’t need to leave the air-conditioning behind to have an adventure with these intriguing subway readings.

This week, follow one couple as they try to eat locally, become the curator of your closet, or chase bail skippers with Stephanie Plum. Don’t miss the beautiful images of Napier jewelry at
Collector’s Weekly
, either!

On Your Kindle

This funny and thought-provoking novel from 2007 was written before the local food trend really became popular and more feasible for many. Follow Canadian couple Smith and Mackinnon as they decide to eat only local foods (grown within a 100-mile radius of their apartment) for a year. As they struggle to find food that meets their criteria, they begin to stockpile potatoes in their sock drawers and long for grains. The couple realizes that while local produce was plentiful around Vancouver a century ago, they now live in a virtual local produce desert.

On Your Smartphone

Collector’s Weekly
explores Napier, a vintage fashion jewelry brand that was worn by Marilyn Monroe, Mamie Eisenhower, and Doris Day at its zenith. In the 1950s and ’60s, Napier was known for its flamboyant, European-inspired designs and the diversity of its styles. This interview with Napier expert and author Melinda Lewis describes the brand’s history and the parallels between current fashions and vintage Napier pieces from mid-century. (You can go to
Lewis’ Facebook page
to see comparison images of various items.) The brand name is still used by Jones New York, so like me, you may recognize today’s Napier brand at your local department store.

On a Podcast

This NPR
Talk of the Nation
podcast includes interviews on African-American fashions, as part of the recent Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
Clothing and identity
have been part of a “visual language” in many cultures, particularly for women. Are you interested in fashion? As the podcast reveals, our responses to fashion are intriguing reflections of our self-image and social identity. One panelist asks listeners to think about their daily clothing choices with the question, “How do you curate your closet?” Whether you dress to impress or for function, you’ll be surprised by this podcast.

Old School

I love a good paperback mystery, so I finally decided to dive into the first book in Janet Evanovich’s long-running Stephanie Plum series,
One for the Money,
this summer
.
If you don’t know about Stephanie Plum, she’s a down-on-her-luck Jersey girl who finds herself suddenly unemployed and forced to take a job working for her cousin Vinnie. Since Vinnie is a bail bondsman, Stephanie finds herself chasing dirty cop Joe Morelli, an old flame from high school. Filled with wacky characters, this series is a must-read for fans of comedic mystery.

Hope Bordeaux is a librarian and writer who blogs about yoga, books, and creativity at hopebordeaux.com. She is also a Book Guru for Where is My Guru and her writing has appeared online in Treehouse, AdiosBarbie, and It's All Yoga, Baby.

Meet The Author

Hope Bordeaux is a librarian and writer who blogs about yoga, books, and creativity at hopebordeaux.com. She is also a Book Guru for Where is My Guru and her writing has appeared online in Treehouse, AdiosBarbie, and It's All Yoga, Baby.